Ohio hatchery investigating salmonella reports

MOUNT HEALTHY, Ohio (AP) -- A mail-order hatchery in southwest Ohio says it's working closely with health officials investigating a new salmonella outbreak being traced back to their chicks.

A statement issued by Mount Healthy Hatcheries, located just north of Cincinnati, says the company is collaborating with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state officials. They also say they're working with their suppliers of hatching eggs and chicks.

The CDC says nearly 100 people have been sickened in 23 states since March. Investigators interviewed dozens of patients and most said they had touched chicks or ducklings before they got sick.

State regulators have repeatedly visited the hatchery, which was tied to a salmonella outbreak last year. Officials say the place is very clean, and the company has done what the state asked.